Latest news with #alcoholism
BBC News
a day ago
- Health
- BBC News
Somerset woman's death prompts call for better guidance
The death of a woman who struggled with alcoholism and was in an abusive relationship has prompted calls for better guidance for official (not her real name), from Taunton in Somerset, was subjected to violence when she refused to have sex with her partner, a report report, by the Somerset Safeguarding Adults Board (SSAB) found that Juliet's alcoholism prevented her from getting the right support from social care chair, Michael Preston-Shoot, said agencies have waited for "some time" for stronger mental health guidance on treating those with long-term substance abuse. Mr Preston-Shoot added: "It's very challenging to assess mental capacity in relation to people who have a long history of substance misuse." Just two months before Juliet's death in 2022 she had to be taken to hospital with breathing difficulties after being forced to have sex by her to the report, there were also concerns she was experiencing coercion and was being financially addition to alcohol dependence, Juliet experienced depression, was a heavy smoker, was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and was registered partially sighted in 1995. 'Stronger guidance needed' Avon and Somerset Police was able to get a domestic violence prevention order which offered Juliet some protection, but she "tended to gravitate" back to her partner up until her SSAB is made up of all the organisations which have a role in preventing the neglect and abuse of adults, including Somerset Council, NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board, Avon & Somerset Police and Somerset NHS Foundation Preston-Shoot said the organisation is waiting for revised guidance on mental capacity assessments from the government. "We are hoping it will give a stronger direction in how to assess in the context of prolonged substance misuse," he Department for Health and Social Care has been contacted for comment.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Gazza and the slow-motion collapse that started when he was 10 years old
Last Monday, notifications from multiple media outlets and text messages from friends and colleagues started pinging into my phone. Beep. Beep. Beep. I opened the alerts to see Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne, the 58-year-old football icon and national treasure, had been rushed to hospital after being found semi-unconscious at home and was in an intensive care unit. My heart sank. Oh Paul. It was a moment I'd feared would one day happen. All the memories of my time spent with Gascoigne, making documentary films with him 10 years ago, came flooding back; all the contradictions of a man so expressive in his football play, yet so unable to articulate his many inner struggles off the pitch. People always refer to 'Gazza' as a troubled genius, but his demons were personal. And, as I was to discover, it is not surprising when you understand everything he's been through without the emotional and practical skills, or support, to deal with such extreme situations. We all know about Gascoigne's iconic status as the best midfielder of his generation. We know he won 57 caps for England and helped take our national team to the semi-finals of Euro 1996. Perhaps his most defining moment, and the one that brought 'Gazza' such extraordinary fame, was receiving a yellow card in the 1990 World Cup semi-finals, which saw him leave the pitch in tears. We also know all about his multiple off-pitch dramas that have happened since. His battle with alcoholism and drug abuse, stints in rehab, being sectioned, court cases, allegations of domestic abuse, drink-driving convictions, homelessness and mental ill-health. When I was asked to direct a documentary following his treatment for addiction in an Arizona clinic, I was enticed by the possibility of discovering the real Paul Gascoigne. At our first meeting, he was performative. He cracked jokes, messed about and gave me the public face of Gazza. But I came to realise there were two people living in Paul Gascoigne 's skin – Gazza, the cheeky national treasure and Paul the gentle and kind man struggling to make sense of internal trauma and extraordinary life experiences. Gascoigne took me to Dunston, an area in the town of Gateshead where he grew up, to meet his family. I thought he was joking (he wasn't) when he said he'd bought his mum, dad, brother and sister houses in the same street – even though then he didn't own a home of his own. The family was tight, and you could feel the love they had for each other. But Gascoigne later told me that the responsibility he felt to support his family financially, from the start of his football success at the age of 16, weighed heavily. He wasn't sure if his role within the family was as a son and brother, or as the family's breadwinner. He became unsettled. He constantly raged about how he believed that people had taken advantage of him, how he thought those employed to help him had abused him financially over the years; how people wanted Gazza, but were disappointed when they got Paul. He said he didn't trust anybody. Not his friends or family and definitely not the media, who'd fed off his fame and vulnerability. He recounted the terrible impact of being hacked by newspapers. How information he'd only shared with his closest family members ended up being front page news, causing him to cut off his family. It was a long time before he discovered they were innocent and that he had been hacked, but by then the damage to his relationship with his family had been sealed. Gascoigne started being unreliable, failing to turn up for filming and being rude and aggressive. Several times, I thought the film would have to be cancelled. But then Gascoigne called, wanting to apologise for his behaviour – and to talk. What I learned gave me an insight and understanding of a terrible childhood trauma, one which precipitated this complex man full of contradictions. The 10-year-old Paul had gone to the shops with his childhood friend Steven. He recalled them being chased out of the shop for pinching sweets and Steven running out between parked cars into the road. He was knocked down by an ice-cream truck and died in Gascoigne's arms. His grief and guilt were still palpable, and he said he still replays his friend's death in his head every day. It was an era when there was no mental health support or infrastructure and Gascoigne was left, in his own words, to 'just get on with it'. He slumped into depression, unable to sleep and developed a slot machine gambling addiction. Soon, he started displaying tics and twitches and making peculiar noises. As his football success grew, Gascoigne said his tics and twitches disappeared when he was on the pitch, but as soon as the game ended, he felt overcome, constantly thinking about death and feeling alienated from everyone around him. He masked his discomfort by becoming the eternal joker, seeking validation by making people laugh with his uproarious and, according to Gary Lineker, outlandish antics. The stories are legendary and friends and former team-mates I spoke to said he was always keen to please and easily egged on to behave inappropriately. We headed back to film in Bournemouth, where Gascoigne was living following his US rehab, and being supported by a local rehab centre. Sober, he gave talks to patients about how addiction to alcohol and cocaine abuse had ruined his life. At the height of his career, he'd been drinking whisky and downing sleeping pills in the run up to matches. He said he went from being a virtual non-drinker, who only liked the occasional pina colada cocktail, to a fully-fledged alcoholic, numbing his anxieties and inability to cope with fame and success. Once back at Gascoigne's flat, the reality of his struggles became clear. It was lunchtime and it suddenly dawned on me I'd never seen him eat a single thing in all the months we'd been filming. He always disappeared at lunchtime and suppertime and would return saying he'd eaten. I asked him why he didn't eat and he opened his kitchen cupboards to reveal hundreds of bags of cheap penny sweets, the kind you buy with pocket money when you're a kid. He said eating sweets as his main source of food was the only way to keep his weight down. Gascoigne then went on to describe his lifelong struggle with his weight during his football career. He was often chastised by managers, fans and the media for being overweight and developed an eating disorder that saw him develop bulimia and purge before matches. He recalled that opposing fans would throw Mars bars onto the pitch when he was playing and chant 'you fat bast***' every time he touched the ball. He was also addicted to Botox and said he couldn't face the world if he didn't feel suitably 'botoxed'. Gascoigne's battle with OCD was evident on a daily basis. He would need to hoover, polish and dust everything, clean the bathroom and check every light switch and plug socket five times before we could leave the house. It was heartbreaking to watch. Toward the end of filming, Gascoigne said he wanted to reconnect with his ex-wife Cheryl, his son Regan and adopted daughter Bianca. It had been years since Paul had been in touch with Cheryl following their acrimonious split, after allegations of Paul's domestic violence, and the multiple court cases over their divorce. The family reunion was emotional, tinged with love, sadness and a sense of frustration and recrimination on all sides. Paul stayed at the house with the family for weeks before Cheryl asked him to leave. I had an impending sense of doom as I began editing the film. Then I got the call that Gascoigne had been found collapsed drunk in the street in London. I received another call from a hotel asking me to collect Gascoigne as he was drunk and naked in the foyer and upsetting the guests. It was yet another incident in Paul's 30-year slow-motion collapse. We kept in touch for a long time after the film came out in 2015. Sometimes Gascoigne would call when he was drunk, sometimes when he was sober. He gave me a watch with the engraving, 'Love from Gazza', and apologised for any problems he'd caused me. Gascoigne always said he didn't know how to live when his career ended, how he regretted not preparing for a life without football. He explained that when you've had fans giving you unconditional love, validation and adulation – and earning a lot of money in the process – the transition to normal life is overwhelming. His fame intensified his personal identity, not knowing who he was – whether it was 'Gazza' or Paul. And his problems with money forced him to make a living doing after-dinner talks where he recounts all the skeletons from his cupboard to a paying audience. It has been cited that problems with his business may be the reason for Gascoigne's recent health scare and admission to ICU. The personal company he set up to channel income from his appearances was struck off and dissolved at the beginning of July for failing to file accounts – and rumours of a falling out over a business deal are said to have plunged him into depression. Sadly, it all feels inevitable. The emotional and psychological toll of a life spent trying to be Paul when the world wanted Gazza, during an era that failed to recognise when someone needed help, is nothing short of a tragedy. Gascoigne never really stood a chance. Today, he is recovering at home in Poole, Dorset, inundated with well-wishes from his legion of fans. Like a million others, I always hoped that Gascoigne would find a happy ending. I hope it's not too late.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Billy Joel finally reveals what sparked 'bad blood' with Elton John
Billy Joel says he and old friend Elton John are in a good place now, but at one time there was 'bad blood' between the two. The Piano Man singer, 76, who has admitted that his alcoholism destroyed his marriage to Christie Brinkley, 71, revealed in part two of the documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes, which debuted on Friday, that a comment by John to Rolling Stone in 2011 that Joel needed rehab rubbed him the wrong way. 'Elton had made a comment that he thought I needed real rehab,' the Pressure singer said in the film. 'He chalked it up to, "Oh, he's a drunk." And that really hurt me,' he explained. 'I said "wait a minute? Don't you know me better than that?" And there was bad blood for a little while,' Joel said of the conflict, adding, 'There was a dovetailing of things that happened during that time.' In the Rolling Stone article Joel and John were fresh off a recent leg of their Face to Face tour, which they began doing in 1994, and the Tiny Dancer artist blamed Joel's battle with the bottle for several cancellations. 'He's going to hate me for this, but every time he goes to rehab they've been light... I love you Billy, and this is tough love,' the Rocket Man artist, who has also previously grappled with an addiction to alcohol and cocaine, told the outlet. Joel went to rehab in 2005 at The Betty Ford Clinic at the insistence of his then-wife Katie Lee and quickly returned to touring. He and Lee divorced in 2009. The Honesty artist said in the documentary that he felt 'clobbered' after John's comments and he hit 'rock bottom.' 'I was disillusioned with what I thought it was all supposed to mean,' he told the audience. 'It was like all the signs were pointing to me: Enough. And I wrote this letter to the band. "I don't want to do this anymore. I'm gonna stop."' The two men patched things up a couple of years later when John and writing partner Bernie Taupin were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. 'Mr. Joel, I haven't seen you tonight, but I love you dearly,' he said while accepting the Johnny Mercer award. When Joel later took the stage to introduce the band Foreigner, who were also being inducted he answered, 'Is Elton still here? By the way? We're OK, Call me. It's the same phone number.' In 2023, Joel told the Los Angeles Times he had quit drinking alcohol 'a couple of years ago.' 'It wasn't a big AA kick. I just got to a point where I'd had enough. I didn't enjoy being completely inebriated, and it probably created more problems in my life than I needed.' Joel has taken a break from touring so he can receive treatment for a condition called normal pressure hydrocephalus, which has affected his balance among other things. The two men made up in 2013 at the Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremonies; Pictured in Oakland, CA in February 2010 Earlier this week, Joel was riding in a limo in New York City when he happened upon a pedi-cab that was playing one of his songs. He shocked the driver and his passengers when he rolled down the window to say Hi Earlier this week, Joel was riding in a limo in New York City when he happened upon a Pedi-cab that was playing one of his songs. He shocked the driver and his passengers when he rolled down the window to say Hi. 'We're in a New York State of Mind…always,' he wrote next to the clip. 'Thank you very much again for stopping and making our day,' the owner of Central Park Airlines wrote. 'It's my customers birthday today & she said she had the best birthday ever ( thanks to you smile ☺️ ) RESPECT. If you ever want a pedicab ride - just say when & I'll make my limousine ready.' Both episodes of Billy Joes: And So It Goes are available on HBOMAX.
The Sun
22-07-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Nicky became an alcoholic after her husband fell ill & died… now a little-known 75p pill has stopped her craving a drink
WHEN her husband tragically died, Nicky Wake spiralled into a deep depression leaning on alcohol to make it through the day. To the outside world she appeared like any other grieving wife, but behind closed doors the 54-year-old from Manchester was hiding a dark secret. 7 7 7 While Andy was cared for in a nursing home, Nicky was a functioning alcoholic, taking the couple's son to school, running her businesses - never missing a meeting. But even suffering a seizure wasn't enough to stop her boozing, and after doctors in A&E told her she needed to stop drinking, Nicky bought wine on her way home. Now, years after saying goodbye to Andy, Nicky tells Sun Health how her darkest days are behind her, thanks to a 'miracle' pill prescribed on the NHS. 'Grief drove me to drink' I walked past the nurses into intensive care, clutching my Diet Coke bottle. I was visiting my seriously ill husband in hospital, and as I reached his bed, where he lay unresponsive in a coma, I opened the lid of my drink and took a sip. But it wasn't Diet Coke after all. It was a vodka mixer - my crutch, after I learned Andy would never be the same again. From there, my drinking spiralled - but I wasn't always like this. I was a high-flying, successful businesswoman, an events planner and a designer of dating apps. Life was good; I married Andy in 2004, two years after we met, and we had our son, Finn, in 2007. I started drinking young, as many women did in the 'ladette' culture of the late 80s and 90s. But alcohol was never a problem for me; it was just fun. Are you a grey zone drinker? 6 questions determine if you have a problem with alcohol & what to do before it gets worse When Andy had a sudden heart attack in 2017, aged 54, it changed everything. It was so sudden, and he was my soulmate. The heart attack led to a brain injury, and he was kept alive in ICU, but there was really nothing anyone could do. The consultant took me aside and said gently, 'This will not have a happy ending', and it was then that my drinking increased. I was drinking daily to cope with the shock and grief. I had always been a heavy drinker up to this point, but never dependent. For three years, Andy was cared for in a nursing home, as he needed specialist care. Meanwhile, I was a functioning alcoholic. It meant I was still able to do everything expected of me, while on the bottle. I ploughed on, juggling running my businesses, getting my son to and from school and visiting Andy - always grabbing a bottle on the way home. I'd fly business class and drink, go to meetings and drink. It was acceptable. But I never ever missed a meeting or got my son to school late. No one knew. 7 How does acamprosate work? ACAMPROSATE (brand name Campral) is used to help prevent a relapse in people who have successfully achieved abstinence from alcohol, the NHS states. It's usually used in combination with counselling to reduce alcohol craving. Acamprosate works by affecting levels of a chemical in the brain called gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA). GABA is thought to be partly responsible for inducing a craving for alcohol. If you're prescribed acamprosate, the course usually starts as soon as you begin withdrawal from alcohol and can last for up to six months. 'Bad binge' Then, in 2020, after a three-year slow decline, Andy passed away at the age of 57. I had pre- grieved for three years as he slowly died, but losing him was still devastating, and I turned to the bottle even more. After getting my son to school, I'd start the day with a bottle of wine at breakfast, drink another bottle throughout the day, then a third bottle in the evening. By 2021, I noticed I could barely walk the length of my street without feeling unwell. But I ignored it. Then in 2023, after a particularly bad binge, I woke in immense pain and felt so, so unwell. I knew I had to stop drinking, but I couldn't get through the day without alcohol. I was already taking mirtazapine for depression, so I took two instead of one. Something happened - I thought I may have had a seizure - and I called a friend who took me to A&E. At the hospital, doctors confirmed I'd had a seizure and blamed the mix of alcohol in my system and the double dose of a strong antidepressant. I was kept in for three days and told I needed to stop drinking. I agreed, but bought wine on the way home. Incredibly, during this time, I had a good relationship with my son. 7 7 But in November 2024, a day before my son's 17th birthday, something in me changed. There was no lightbulb moment or rock bottom. I just felt generally dreadful and thought if I picked up one more glass of booze, I'd be dead. I told my son I was checking myself into rehab. He hugged me and said, 'That would be the best birthday present ever'. Luckily, I had private healthcare, which covered my admission to The Priory, where I did a 28-day detox. It included yoga, meditation, and hours of counselling. It was hard. But I felt cared for and looked after. It was there that a doctor recommended acamprosate to help my recovery. Acamprosate is a medication for people with alcohol dependence that works by stabilising the brain chemistry, helping reduce cravings and maintain abstinence. A doctor recommended acamprosate to help my recovery. Acamprosate is a medication for people with alcohol dependence that works by stabilising the brain chemistry, helping reduce cravings and maintain abstinence I had no idea if it would work for me, but I decided to try, thinking I'd probably swing by a wine shop as I left The Priory. But I didn't. I went straight home. I didn't drink the next day or the next. Soon, weeks had passed. It was a miracle. People on weight loss jabs talk about losing this 'food noise' once they start the medication, the relief that they are no longer constantly thinking about their next bite to eat. And it was the same for me, only with alcohol. I started with four doses a day, tapering to two, and then coming off at eight months - and I'm still sober. The pills were prescribed in the Priory and by my GP once I left. It is recommended by NICE, the NHS drug regulator, but only prescribed after a person is successfully withdrawn from alcohol and on a programme. Sobriety meant that I was able to focus on the development and launch of an app called to help sober people date. So many dates are about drinking, it's hard to find a sober match. And amazingly, when I celebrated my 54th birthday recently, there was no wine, no champagne and no beer. I left the party sober and joyful. Acamprosate saved my life. Now, I plan to stay sober in Andy's honour and for our son. What to do if you think are an alcoholic IF you're struggling with alcohol addiction, the most important thing is to recognise the problem and seek support - You don't have to face it alone. Seek Professional Help GP or Doctor – A medical professional can assess your situation and provide advice on treatment options. Therapists or Counsellors – Talking to an addiction specialist can help address underlying causes and develop coping strategies. Rehab or Detox Programmes – If physical dependence is severe, medically supervised detox may be necessary. Consider Support Groups
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hunter Biden Details Crack Use, Alcohol Addiction in Rare Interview
Originally appeared on E! Online Hunter Biden isn't hiding from his mistakes. Six months after former President Joe Biden pardoned his son's convictions on federal tax evasion and firearm charges, the 55-year-old shared rare insight into his previous struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction. 'I don't know anybody who hasn't been affected by drugs and alcohol in a really significant way,' Hunter told Channel 5 creator Andrew Callaghan in a sit-down interview released July 21. 'While it's so universal, it's something we rarely talk about.' And Hunter—dad to Naomi Biden, 31, Finnegan Biden, 23, Maisy Biden, 22, Navy Roberts, 6, and Beau Biden Jr., 5—admitted that his struggle with alcohol was just as difficult as his crack addiction. 'I was drinking so much alcohol, almost a handle of vodka a day' Hunter added. 'And alcohol is the most destructive drug not just to your body, but it puts you in more danger than any other drug I've ever experienced. And then you add on top of that the amount of crack I was using at the time, and crack cocaine in terms of your physical health is not as dangerous as the situation you put yourself in to be able to obtain it.' More from E! Online Malcolm-Jamal Warner's Official Cause of Death Revealed Bill Cosby Reacts to Malcolm-Jamal Warner's Death Suki Waterhouse Shares Glimpse at Her and Robert Pattinson's Baby Girl in Rare Photo While Hunter noted he's been sober since 2019, he shared he is still in the recovery process, adding, 'I'm still appropriately paying the price for some, or trying to make amends for stuff that are personal that I still believe I need to make amends for.' He also shared that all of his personal drug issues being aired out nationally in the last few years has helped him stay clean for good. 'You get clean and sober and what ends up happening is you hold onto these secrets,' Hunter—who opened up about his addiction struggles in his 2021 memoir Beautiful Things—explained. 'The guilt kind of boils up and the only place you can talk about it is in a room full of virtual strangers, which is really helpful, but it doesn't relieve you from that awful feeling that 'I'm about to be found out.' Then you get triggered, and your brain tells you the only thing you know how to do to save yourself and the fastest way to save yourself is a drink or a drug. So you get caught in this loop.' Indeed, Hunter noted his public controversies somewhat saved him from that cycle. 'The favor that they did for me is that I don't have any more secrets,' he added. 'Now, not everything they say about me is true, but the things that people would be very embarrassed about, I've been very open about.' And while a lot of his embarrassing moments are out in the open, he is more than happy to detail his path to sobriety, adding, 'I am incredibly proud of that.' For a deeper look into the Biden family, keep reading… First Lady Jill BidenSon Beau BidenBeau's Widow Hallie BidenGranddaughter Natalie BidenGrandson Robert Hunter Biden IISon Hunter BidenHunter's Ex-Wife Kathleen BuhleGranddaughter Naomi BidenGranddaughter Finnegan BidenGranddaughter Maisy BidenHunter Biden's Wife Melissa CohenGrandson Beau BidenGranddaughter Navy RobertsAshley BidenSon-in-Law Howard KreinSister Valerie BidenA Moment to Remember for the Whole Family For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App Solve the daily Crossword
